


Something Worth Living For

by SapphireWolf1122



Series: Something Worth Fighting For [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underswap, Babybones, Before monsters were forced Underground, Character Death, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Human/Monster Romance, Human/Monster War, Humans Suck, I'm Bad At Tagging, Little Alphys, Little Papyrus, Monsters vs. Humans, No Smut, Original Character(s), Platonic Soulmates, Racism, Reader Is Not Chara, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader-Insert, Reincarnation, Soul Bond, Soulmates, War, You are a Monster, falling down - Freeform, reader is female, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-11-04 08:15:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10987014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphireWolf1122/pseuds/SapphireWolf1122
Summary: The war has taken its toll on you. You have given up, feeling that there is no point in continuing to fight. You have begun to fall down and leave the monster camp so that your family doesn't have to watch you die. But then you meet a human. And everything changes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *****WARNING, IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE FIRST PART OF THIS SERIES, YOU MAY BE CONFUSED. HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING SOMETHING WORTH FIGHTING FOR BEFORE THIS ONE. THANK YOU****
> 
> Hallo. Long time no see XD. Sorry for the long stall, college got incredibly busy. But I've been off a for a few weeks now and this idea has been in my head since like March so it felt great to finally write it down. This one came while I was actually brainstorming a writing assignment with my roommate; I had mentioned how it would have been cool if I'd made Reader the monster but when they reincarnated, they were still human. Ended up talking about it for like an hour before finally getting back to our homework, haha. Shout out to EvergreenEmerald for letting me talk about this with you and helping me out with editing!
> 
> It follows the same basic story line as the first story in this series, Something Worth Fighting For, except it's Swap and you're the monster. Don't worry, I don't reuse the same scenes for the most part; I just thought it be cool to see it from this perspective. Okay, I'll stop rambling now. I hope you like it and thanks for reading! I appreciate any feedback!
> 
> P.S. I'm gonna be gone for a week with little to no internet access; I am actually having a friend of mine post this for me. I will post part 2 as soon as I can though, as well as respond to any comments.

You were in your tent, stuffing a few provisions into a knapsack.You didn’t need much, just enough to get you to where you were going. You were moving quickly, trying to be done and out before anybody could catch you. Before they could stop you.

 

Tying the strap of the knapsack, you looked around the small tent. As a soldier, you didn’t exactly carry a lot with you to begin with so there wasn’t much left in the tent besides a small chest of personal belongings that you were leaving behind. There was no point in taking it and it was to cumbersome to carry anyway.

 

On top of the chest was the letter you had written. It explained everything, as best as you had been able to explain it. Why you were leaving. And why you were never coming back. Staring at the letter, you felt a now familiar pain in your chest. Far from a pang of regret, it only solidified your determination to go. However, you did feel that maybe you should hide the letter, so that it wasn’t found too quickly and they were able to come after you.

 

Walking over to the chest, you picked up the letter and opened the chest. Rummaging through the objects inside, you worked to make a space at the bottom. As you moved some things aside, your hand touched what felt like a small book. You frowned a bit. You didn’t own any books; at least, not anymore.

 

Picking the object up, you saw that it was actually an old leather bound journal. You recognized it immediately and knew without opening it that the pages inside were blank. Your mother had given you this journal; she had wanted you to write about your travels and adventures that you had been so eager to go on as a child. But they had never happened. Instead, the war began. You wondered if your mother had ever imagined you’d end up here.

 

Another flare up of pain; this time, you could feel as the energy and magic drained from you. You needed to hurry.

 

Looking at the journal again, you opened your knapsack and dropped it in. You don’t know why you wanted to suddenly bring it but you did. You then dropped the letter into the chest, slammed it shut and ran out of the tent without another glance.

 

Outside, it was still dark out, the stars bright in the sky. However, you could see the east beginning to lighten as dawn approached. You looked around the campsite; it was silent, with only a few monsters up, besides the ones on sentry duty.

 

You suddenly heard a crunch behind you and small voice go, “Aunty ___?” Damn it.

 

You turned to see your nephew, Papyrus, blinking up at you sleepily. You forced a smile onto your face. As a skeleton, you were of course technically always smiling but it still felt strange and almost uncomfortable as you made it widen.

 

“Pappy, what are you doing up? Where’s your mom and dad?” You whispered, looking around anxiously for Paladin and his mate.

 

Pappy rubbed at his eye sockets. “Daddy is with Uncle Gerson and Mommy went to help Muffet and her mommy prep for breakfast. I got cold so I was gonna ask if I could sleep with you in your tent. Where you going Aunty ___?”

 

“I, uh, I’m just going on a scouting mission Pap.”

 

“When are you gonna be back?”

 

“Ah, I’m not sure. It might be while. You should go back to bed kiddo, before your mommy gets back and freaks out when you’re not there.” You tried for a wink. It seemed to work.

 

“Okay…” Papyrus turned around in the direction of his family’s tent. You turned around too but before you could take a step, he spoke again.

 

“Aunty ___, are you okay?” You turned again to see him staring at you, his sockets wide, his eye-lights glowing bright; there was even some orange glowing his right socket. His magic had finally started developing not too long ago. A bit of a late bloomer but he was learning fast; you felt that he could be quite powerful one day.

 

This time there was some regret with the flare of pain in your chest as realized you wouldn’t be able to see him grow up. You shook yourself. It was better this way. Better to save him, all of them, from watching you fall.

 

You suddenly realized that you’d just been staring at Pap for several moments. Forcing your smile to widen again, you said, “Of course I am, bud. Just got a long journey ahead.”

 

He blinked slowly and then his own smile widened. “Oh okay. Well, while you’re gone, I’ll work extra hard on my magic. I almost got teleporting! That way you have something to look forward to and the journey won’t seem as long!”

 

You felt a lump in your throat(?). “Sounds great bud. Can’t wait. Now go off to bed.”

 

“Okay. Goodbye Aunty! I love you!”

 

You watched him go, another flare of pain going through your chest.

 

“Goodbye,” you whispered.

 

* * *

 

 

You were sitting on the edge of a cliff, your legs dangling over the side. You had arrived here the day before and made camp. And now you were just waiting.

 

Technically, you were still in monster territory but it had been taken by the humans in the early waves of the war. Now the front lines were at the center of what had once been all monster territory. You shook your head, still unable to believe everything that had happened.

 

When the human queen had declared war, Queen Toriel and King Asgore had attempted to negotiate peace but the humans couldn’t be negotiated with. Despite the centuries of peace that had lasted between the two races, the queen declared that monsters were power-hungry and couldn’t be trusted. And so they initiated the fighting, sending their armies into monster territory and destroying everything in their path, killing any who got in their way with a prejudice.

 

They had done their best to evacuate the villagers from their towns, sending all to Mt. Ebott, but so many were lost. And that didn’t even count those who lived outside of monster territory who had been targeted. And despite the monsters’ superiority in magic and their longer lives, they were losing this war. After the massacre of most of your kind, you had known that there was no hope. The humans would win and all the monsters would be killed. You tried to find a reason to keep fighting, to persevere, but it had become harder and harder. You watched as the others did everything they could to turn the tide of the war, as your brother, Paladin, and the Captain of the Guard, Gaster, worked through strategy after strategy but it was pointless. Not even Papyrus and the idea of seeing him grow up could give you hope. And so soon, you began to fall down.

 

You’d tried to deny it at first but it became too evident for you to ignore. You felt yourself grow continuously weaker. And so you had to decided to leave, so as to at least save your family from watching you die, in the worst way a monster could. This was the last reason you’d had to keep going and you had succeeded. And now here you were.

 

You looked back behind you towards your campsite. Next to where you had set up camp was the skeleton of a house; it had been burned down by the humans. If you closed your eyes, you could still see the flames. This was your childhood home. You had come back to evacuate your parents but you had been too late. Their dust lay mixed with the ashes.

 

Turning back towards the horizon, you felt the pain in your chest again. This time, your HP bar appeared before you and you watched as it decreased by several points. As it faded again, you suddenly grew curious and put your hand on your sternum. Closing your eyes, you visualized your SOUL and willed for it to come out.

 

When you opened your sockets again, it was floating above the palm of your hand. Even though you were expecting it, you were still surprised by the sight of it. Once a vibrant white with bright strands of purple pulsing around it, your SOUL was now grey with very little magic surrounding it. Despite the fact that this obviously meant that you were still dying, the thought didn’t really stir any feeling in you. You were more interested in the way your SOUL looked, having never seen the SOUL of a falling down monster.

 

After several more moments of examining your SOUL, you put it back where it belonged. You knew that it probably hadn’t been a good idea to pull it out. You feel could the extra drain of energy the action had caused. But you shrugged it off, figuring it would just help move the process along quicker and contented yourself with watching the forest below you.

 

It was quiet, peaceful, two things that were hard to come by these days. You couldn't help wondering what you’d be remembered for, if you’d be remembered at all. You didn’t really feel like you’d done anything notable, besides being one of the leaders of the army. You’d never even found a mate.

 

Reaching into your tunic that was beneath your light armor, you took out the battered journal. You’d taken to carrying it there since leaving camp, feeling as though you were carrying a piece of your mother with you, in a way. However, as you looked at it, you felt nothing; you couldn’t even remember the places you’d dreamed of going as a young skeleton. That hopeful child had gone a long time ago.

 

With a grunt, you stood up, a sudden desire to throw it off the cliff coming upon you. However, when you did, you saw movement below you. Focusing your attention to where you thought you spotted the movement, you looked down to the clearing below you and in that clearing was a human male. Though you couldn’t tell much from this high up, you could tell that the human was shorter than average and had a shock of blonde hair on his head. You could also tell by his armor and the hilt of a sword peeking over his shoulder that he was a soldier. You felt something stir inside you.

 

You supposed he was on patrol, not far from his company, though it was strange that he’d be patrolling alone. Taking a small step forward, you saw that he actually seemed to be lost in thought, not paying attention to his surroundings at all. You took another step closer to the edge but this time your foot dislodged a rock and sent it flying down to the meadow below.

 

As it landed, the sound of it startled the soldier out of his reverie, causing him to shift into a defensive stance and draw his sword about halfway out of its sheath. You saw that it was in fact a broadsword, a strangely large weapon for someone so small. You continued to watch as the human seemed to realize he didn’t know where he was. He looked around, a confused and slightly abashed look on his face.

 

He caught sight of a pile of rocks not far from him and started making his way over, you supposed to get some high ground. As he did, you were suddenly overcome by a feeling of anger.

 

This human was trespassing; the humans may have overrun this land but as far as you were concerned, this was still monster territory. Not only that, he was a soldier, someone who had devoted his life to fighting the war that was meant to annihilate monsters. Here he was, walking around, lost in thought, like he knew he had nothing to fear, because his army had driven all the monsters away. Well, there was still one left and after everything that humans had taken from you, you were not going to stand for this. Especially not in the place where your parents had been slaughtered and where you in turn had chosen to die. You could feel as your magic responded to your emotions, causing it to pulse wildly around you, if a little weakly.

 

Stuffing the journal back into your tunic, you rushed to your campsite and picked up your sword and ran back to the edge of the cliff. You were overcome by the desire to kill this human, to make him pay for the crimes of humanity. You may be dying and the extinction of your race may be eminent but maybe you could take one more human with you. Or you’d just speed the process further and die trying. You liked both ideas.

 

And so, your mind made up, you jumped from the cliff, nearly 100 feet above the clearing. You realized about halfway down that, with your magic as weak as it was, you may not survive the fall; well, too late now.

 

Turned out you didn't need to worry.

 

You landed behind the human in a crouch, the force of your landing sending him flying. You stood as the human rolled and sprang to his feet, his weapon drawn. His eyes widened at the sight of you, your magic pulsing furiously around you and your eye glowing a fierce purple. You both stood there in silence for several moments. Looking into his bright blue eyes, you felt the stirring inside of you again; it was something more than anger. Propelled by this feeling, you summoned your magic and attacked.

 

Slicing your sword through the air, you sent a volley of purple bones at the human. You watched as they flew towards him, his eyes widening. He seemed frozen in place and for a moment you thought the fight might be over before it even started. But then at the last moment, he jumped forward and rolled beneath the volley.

 

He had barely rolled back onto his feet when you sent several more flying towards him with a growl. He gripped his broadsword in both hands and deflected them with apparent ease, stepping forward towards you as he did. For a moment, you were amazed at how easily he seemed to handle the huge sword; it would seem his small size was quite deceiving.

 

Focusing back on the task at hand, you threw out your hand and imagined your magic taking holding of him and then made a motion that should have thrown him clear across the field. Instead, all that happened was a purple flicker. With another growl of frustration, you tried again but with the same result. Must be some kind of magic in the armor...damn mages.

 

Fine then, you thought. Good old fashioned swordfighting it is.

 

You threw yourself at the human, hammering away at him with your sword with little regard for technique. All you wanted was for your blade to bite into him; you wanted to see his lifeblood leave his body. However, the human defended with superb technique, flowing from stance to stance, blocking every one of your blows. You tried to put more power behind the blows, hacking wildly with your blade. Some small part of you thought of how angry Paladin would be with you right now but you found you simply didn’t care.

 

The two of you were now blade to blade, struggling against each other. Normally, you would be much stronger than the human but the damage to your SOUL had severely weakened you. As you pushed back and forth, you had a sudden idea.

 

Leaping back, you spun low, sweeping your sword in an arc and sending more bones at him. This time, you managed to catch him at the knees. However, they didn’t slice through his legs as you’d hoped it would. Instead it simply tripped him, sending him somersaulting through the air and landing hard onto the ground. Damn it, you thought, letting out another growl.

 

Rolling back into a crouching position, the human cocked his head at you and said, “Do you make any other noises besides a growl? And that was just cheating by the way.” Taken off guard, you blinked at him for a moment and that’s when he took his chance.

 

Leaping at you, he tackled you the ground, slamming your sword arm down, causing your sword to fly out of your hand. You landed with the tip of his sword at the base of your neck bones. He had bested you.

 

At that moment, all the fight left you and you just stared up at him, knowing that you were defeated and waiting for the final blow. The two of you stared into each other’s eyes for a long time; you felt that stirring again. You thought you saw some inner battle going on inside of his beautiful blue eyes.

 

Did you just think of his eyes as beautiful?

 

Shaking your head, you grew impatient and growled, “What are you waiting for human? Wanting to gloat over your victory?” It was the first words you said to him and it seemed to resolve whatever was going on in his head. But instead of finishing you off, he shook his head and stood up, dropping his sword.

 

“I can’t. I can’t do it.”

 

You stared up at him in shock for several moments, sure that it was some sort of trick. But he just stood there and stared back at you, a sad look in his eyes.

 

Hoisting yourself up, you said, “What’s the matter with you, human? What sort of soldier can’t kill his enemy? Are you some sort of coward?” You knew that you probably should have attacked him but you couldn’t help yourself.

 

The human shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem right. This is wrong.”

 

Now you were really taken aback. A human soldier thought that the idea of killing was wrong?

 

You don’t know what made you said it; probably your current lack of fear of dying. “I attacked you. Any soldier, human or monster, would say that that was a deliberate provocation and would give you total rights to kill me in a fight. So pick up your sword and kill me or die trying!”

 

The human looked at you strangely. “Why do you want me to kill you so badly?”

 

That left you speechless and the two of you just stared at each other for a bit; you thought you felt some part of you being drawn to him. However, before you could say anything, you heard voices calling and the sound of movement in the woods.

 

Both you and the human turned towards the direction of the noise. When he turned back to you, you were surprised to see that he almost looked scared.

 

“You need to get out of here! If they find you here, they’ll kill you for sure!”

 

Frowning, you want to say something but he screamed, “GO!” and that was enough to get you to run into the trees, in the opposite direction of the voices. Once you were a good distance, you turned to see several more humans gathered around the first, questioning him. He seemed highly uncomfortable but didn’t give you away. Finally, they left, heading back to what you assumed was their camp.

 

As you watched them go, you had a sudden desire to follow them, maybe try to catch the first human alone. You found that you wanted to know the name of the strange human for some reason. Besides, you thought with some annoyance, it would seem that you owed him your life.

 

* * *

 

 

You stood above the battle that raged below, blood on your blade and dust on your shoulders. Your SOUL ached at the sight. But that was all it did, ached. After your encounter with the human, your SOUL had begun to heal. You’d found a reason to live a again, a reason to persevere. And unbelievably, it was a human.

 

You remembered vividly the jump in your sternum as your SOUL responded to the human’s touch. Though you had never felt it before, you’d heard enough stories to know what it meant. It was impossible, it couldn’t be a human. And yet, it apparently was.

 

That hadn’t even been the first surprise that day, though it was probably the biggest. No, this human had definitely been full of surprises. You thought of the conversation you’d had in the woods, when you’d come upon him whacking away at an innocent tree.

 

“What the hell is the matter with you? Do you have a death wish?” you’d asked.

 

The human had whipped around, blue eyes wide, his practice sword held at the ready. When he saw you, his face went pale. You had thought he might have been afraid of you but then he’d said, “What the hell are you doing here? You should be long gone!”

 

You’d rolled your eyelights, saying, “That’s exactly why I’m here. It would seem I owe you my life. I don’t like owing people things.”

 

He had blinked at you, not seeming to comprehend for a moment. And then, to your great shock, he’d bursted out laughing. You’d watched incredulously as he actually doubled over, gripping his sides.

 

With a scowl, you’d asked, “What the bloody hell is so funny?”

 

It was several more moments before he’d composed himself enough to answer. “N-Nothing,” -more laughter- “The idea is just ludicrous to me.”

 

“What is?” You were starting to get quite annoyed.

 

“Of you owing me your life. You can’t be serious.” You’d blinked at him, unsure of what to say. He’d cocked his head at you, a lopsided grin on his face. “Was this just an excuse to come talk to me and have a reason not to kill me? Were you just curious?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

 

Now you were just taken aback. This was starting to get out of hand.

 

Shaking your head, you’d said, “Ah, no. You not only spared my life today, but you saved it. And I am honor bound to repay you,” bowing your head slightly.

 

It was his turn to look taken aback, the grin gone from his face. “Oh. It was nothing; it just seemed like the right thing to do.”

 

“It most certainly wasn’t nothing. I’m sure no other human soldier would have done such a thing. It was probably stupid. But definitely not nothing.”

 

He looked at you strangely. “Have you ever actually met a human?”

 

You’d raised an eye-ridge. “Does on the battlefield count?”

 

“Ah, no. It would seem you haven’t exactly been given a very good impression of us, which is most certainly not your fault. This war is wrong, there’s no question in that.”

 

“A human soldier who thinks the war he is fighting is wrong. You are strange. Tell me then, why are you fighting?”

 

The smile he gave you was strangely sad. “I’m good with a sword.” Before you could respond to that, he’d stuck his hand out at you. “Anyway, the name is Serif.”

 

Surprised, you automatically gripped his hand in yours. The effect was almost instant. The moment that you touched him, you felt your SOUL leap and you were filled with an unfamiliar sensation. You had been so caught off guard that you’d almost forgot to say your name as well.

 

“___. My name is ___.”

 

“___. It’s nice to meet you.” You felt a small leap again as he said your name. He had pulled away rather quickly. You’d wondered if he’d felt it too. You’d stared at your hand for moment. You knew what the feeling meant. But it should have been impossible.

 

Shaking yourself, you’d said, “Ah, right. Anyway, back to why I am here.” You’d reached into your tunic, bringing out the journal. Bringing it close to your face, you said a few words, making it glow a bright purple. Once the light had faded, you’d held it out for Serif to take.

 

“This is now enchanted. Should you ever need me, simply say my name and I will be there as soon as I can be.”

 

Serif hesitated for a moment, long enough for you to wonder if he was going to refuse the journal. But then he took it with a nod, a set look on his face. “Thank you.”

 

You’d nodded. “Well, until then, goodbye...Serif.” You turned to go but then turned back, unable to resist asking one more question. “Serif?”

 

He turned back to you, his eyebrows raised. “Yes?”

 

“Why did you spare me?”

 

He gave you that sad smile again. “I don’t really know. It just didn’t feel right I guess. I knew you were just protecting your land and your people and I just thought about, what if you had a family? Too many families have been ruined by this pointless war and I didn’t want to be the reason that another was.” The look in his eyes was heartbreaking.

 

You stared at him for several moments, finally asking, “Are you sure you’re human?”

 

That had gotten a laugh out of him and you could feel yourself smiling a little at the sound of it. You liked his laugh.

 

Wait, what?

 

“Yes, I am, last I checked anyway. What kind of question is that?” he’d answered.

 

You shook your head. “Don’t worry about it. Goodbye Serif.” And with that, you’d turned away.

 

Serif. Such a strange name. And yet you hadn’t been able to get it out of your head ever since. Afterwards, you went back to your camp for a couple of days, your mind occupied with thoughts of Serif and a yearning to know more, to understand. Soon, you noticed your SOUL had begun to heal; it seemed that he had saved you in more ways than one. With this came the realization that you were no longer dying and so you decided to return to the encampment.

 

However, when you arrived, you were greeted with a lecture from your brother and Gaster. It seemed that they hadn’t found the letter. Just as well, you supposed.

 

“Do you have any idea how worried I was?!” Paladin had yelled. “You said nothing, just took off, telling nobody except my son of all people!”

 

It had been a long time since your brother had spoken to you like, well, a brother. Since the war started, he was too often just your commanding officer. Despite the fact that you were being talked to like a child, you felt strangely loved.

 

“I am sorry, brother. I needed to clear my head and thought I’d do so while being useful and going on a scouting mission. I didn’t say anything because I knew you wouldn’t let me do it by myself and I needed to be alone.”

 

“That is still not an excuse for not telling your commanding officer where you were going. Or waiting for permission. What if something had happened to you? Or to this camp and you had been needed here?” Gaster’s calm voice came in, not showing any anger but making you feel chastised all the same.

 

You bowed your head, saying, “Yes sir.”

 

“What were you doing out there?” asked Paladin. “And don’t give me crap about a scouting mission! You’ve always hated scouting.”

 

You didn’t know what to say. You didn’t want to lie but you didn’t want to worry him by telling the truth, especially now that there was no danger. Fortunately, luck was on your side and Papyrus had come bursting into the tent, running into your arms.

 

“Aunty ___! Did you bring me a present?”

 

With a laugh, you said, “Not this time, Pap. My, you’ve gotten big.”

 

After a moment, you realized that everyone was staring at you, a look of surprise on their faces, even Papyrus. “What?”

 

“Aunty ___, you laughed,” said Papyrus.

 

~

 

After that, you’d resumed your role as a soldier and as one of the leaders of the monster army. You were one of the top trainers for the other soldiers and so you occupied yourself with that. You also spent time with your family, watching as Pap continued to improve on his magic. You’d believed yourself content as you embraced and even celebrated the fact that you were alive.

 

However, after a few weeks, you found yourself growing restless, feeling as though you weren’t where you needed to be. You confided this to Paladin and he and Gaster made the decision to send you into battle, giving you command of a whole company. You jumped at the opportunity, believing that it would be a good place to focus your energy.

 

But when you arrived, you found that your heart was no longer in the fighting. With every human you cut down, you felt a sense of guilt, picturing Serif’s face. You realized that you were feeling guilty, almost as though you were betraying Serif, which was absurd, considering you didn’t even know him very well. But the feeling persisted and you found yourself focusing more on saving your fellow monsters rather than actually killing humans, which you only did when absolutely necessary.

 

You had actually just finished bringing one to the monster camp that was several miles from the battlefield in order to be healed. You had been returning to the battle when you stopped to watch the bloodshed before you, desperately not wanting join in it again. But you couldn’t leave your soldiers; you could see your company on far side of the field, your second-in-command at their head.

 

With a deep sigh, you’d turned to make your way to them when you heard a whisper. Whipping your head around, you furrowed your eye-ridges in confusion. It couldn’t be…

 

There it was again! And though it was faint, you still recognized the voice. Serif was calling for you. Had the human already gotten himself in trouble?

 

You hesitated, not sure whether to ignore the call and continue to your company or to go to Serif. You shook your head, reprimanding yourself. Your company was doing fine without you for now; you owed Serif your life and you’d made a promise.

 

Focusing on the whisper, you searched for Serif through the link you’d made with the journal. As you worked to pinpoint his location, your body began to glow purple, preparing for a teleport. Teleporting wasn’t a strong suit of yours but the link helped you make a shortcut. Just as you were about to teleport, you realized that you actually weren’t too far from where it was taking you.

 

You landed in the midst of the battle, surrounded by a circle of other monsters brandishing their weapons. Your appearance shocked them enough to stop them in their tracks, giving you time to look down. You were standing over an unconscious Serif, blood pooling underneath him, one of his hands inside of his tunic, where you guessed he had been keeping the journal.

 

The other monsters were getting over their shock and one of them, a spider monster, spoke up, yelling over the cacophony around them.

 

“Commander ___. With respect, what are you doing here, your company is on the other side of the battle.”

 

You blinked at them, unsure how to respond. This was not how you pictured repaying your debt.

 

“Commander? Are you okay? Do you wish to finish the human off yourself?”

 

That roused you. With a growl, you exclaimed, “Leave this human be!”

 

The monsters blinked in surprise. Another spoke up. “Are you suggesting we spare the human? That’s preposterous, we’re in the middle of a battle! This human, like it’s kind, would not give a second thought about killing any of us!”

 

Once you would have agreed. But you had been proven wrong and though you knew you sounded insane and would likely get into trouble with not just your brother and Gaster, but the Queen and King as well, you knew you had to save Serif.

 

With a yell, you slammed your sword into the blood-soaked dirt, creating a wall around you and Serif. Looking around at all of the monsters, your eye glowing its fierce purple, you yelled, “No one is to harm this human on my orders! Return to camp and wait for further instructions from your company commander. Any who disobeys will answer to me!”

 

Turning away from their bewildered and angry looks, you stooped and gingerly picked Serif up, careful not to jostle him too much, lest you make his wound worse. You felt the leap in your chest again as you touched him, but ignored it for now.

 

You took off at a run, holding tightly onto Serif, maintaining your magical barrier to help better barrel through the fighting around you. Luckily, you were near the fringe of the fighting.

 

As you ran, you looked down into Serif’s pale face, your keen ears hearing as his breath continued to grow shallower; you felt panic flutter in your chest. You had to save him. You wished you could do something for him now but you were not trained enough in healing magic to deal with a wound as severe as his. You silently promised him that you’d bring him to the best healer the camp had. Out loud, you urged him to hang on, not sure if he could hear you.

 

Man, Paladin was not going to like this…

 

* * *

 

 

You were blade to blade with your brother. As you had arrived to camp, two men of your company pulling wagon carrying a still-unconscious Serif behind you, Paladin had asked no questions. One moment he was greeting you, the next he was jumping over you, drawing his blade, his body reverberating with orange magic. You had barely managed to draw your own and block him for severing Serif’s head.

 

Now you struggled to keep it from falling to it’s intended target. Knowing you couldn’t hold against your brother’s strength for very long, you tried to talk to him.

 

“Paladin!” He didn’t look up, his sockets blazing a fiery orange. “Paladin, look at me! I SAID LOOK AT ME!”

 

He finally did, though he did not move his sword, turning his furious gaze on you. You resisted the urge to flinch. “What is this human doing here, being carried into camp like one of our wounded? And why are you defending him?!”

 

You answered in a calm voice. “I saved him, he was brought here under my orders. He needs a healer.”

 

That shocked him enough to send him reeling back. “YOU WHAT?!” He stood there blinking at you for several moments, the orange light gone from his sockets. You took the opportunity to turn to one of your soldiers and send for a healer. That brought your brother out of his speechlessness.

 

“If you think that I’m going to allow magic and energy to be wasted on a human, a human _soldier_ nonetheless, then you have truly gone insane.”

 

“He will be treated. His wounds are severe and will be fatal if left untreated.”

 

“Good! Let him die! One less to worry about!

 

“ _No!_ I saved him, he is under my charge, I decide his fate!”

 

Paladin rushed towards you, his eyes blazing again, but you stood your ground. “ _You_ decide his fate? Are you denying your commanding officer?!” He had taken on a dangerous tone.

 

You leaned in so only he could here you. “You don’t scare me big brother. You’re just going to have to trust me.”

 

He pulled back, looking at you as if he truly believed you’d lost your mind. “ _Trust_ you? When you’ve brought a human into our camp? You are giving me no reason to trust you! What has gotten into you? You have never held any love for humans.”

 

“This human is different.”

 

“ _Different?_ That’s what you’re asking me to trust you off of? That you think this human is different? You don’t even know this human.”

 

“I know him better than you think. I met him before.”

 

“What do you mean you’ve met him before? Are you saying that you came across this human more than once and you let him live?” Paladin was starting to vibrate from his anger, his magic pulsing around him.

 

You ducked your head, scratching your skull in embarrassment. “I wouldn’t say I just _let_ him live. But that was certainly the outcome.”

 

This time he was the one that leaned into you to whisper so that nobody else could here. “Are you turning traitor on me, little sister?” There was a threatening tone to his voice.

 

You looked him in the sockets. “I have never given you any reason to mistrust me.”

 

He scoffed. “You mean besides disappearing for over a week, with no message of where you had gone?”

 

You sighed. You should have known this was going to come back to bite you. “I am asking you not as my commanding officer, but as my brother, to trust me. At least give me until he wakes up. Then we will both explain to you why he is here.” Though Serif will probably think you were stupid for bringing him…

 

Paladin stared at you angrily for a long time. After a few minutes, your soldier and a healer came running to where you all stood. The healer exclaimed, “Where is the patient?”

 

Without taking your eyes off your brother, you pointed to the wagon. The healer rushed to it, only to stop short when they saw who exactly their patient was. “I don’t understand. You want me to treat a human?” The healer looked at you and Paladin.

 

You raised your eye ridges at Paladin, waiting for him to answer. Finally, shaking his head, Paladin said, with the anger barely contained in his voice, “Yes, you are to treat the human. You will inform me as soon as he awakens. Then his fate will be decided.”

 

With that, he spun on his heel and stalked away in the direction of the royal tent.

 

“Thank you Paladin.”

 

That stopped him in his tracks and had him turning back to you, looking more furious than you’d ever seen him. “Do not thank me. You have no idea how much of an embarrassment you are, bringing a human here and expecting us to treat him. When he wakes up, you better have a good explanation or else I will kill him myself. And if he ends up being a danger to this encampment, I will be forced to put you to death as well. So no, don’t thank me, because you are forcing me to choose between you and what I feel is right. And if you turn out to betray me, I will never forgive you!”

 

And with that, he sped away from you. As you watched him go, you felt an ache of sadness in your chest. What have you done?

 

But then you shook your head. You knew that you were right and that you had done the right thing. And you would prove it, make them all see differently. But first, Serif had to live.

 

Turning towards the healing tents, you rushed over to them. You had already fought so hard to keep Serif alive. You were going to make sure he stayed that way.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You bond with Serif and begin to realize you can't deny your feelings for him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry this took so long. It needed edits and I hate editing, lol. But here it is! I know it's kind of short but I'll try to get the next chapter in soon! Thanks for reading and I appreciate any feedback.

“What the hell is this?”

 

You spoke with bewilderment as you looked down into your food bowl, not entirely sure of what you were looking at. In the bowl was what appeared to be a flattened piece of bread with meat on top of it. The meat had been cut up in a strange way and was accompanied by an assortment of vegetables. Taking a cautionary sniff, you could smell the spices that the meat had been cooked with. It didn’t smell bad actually. Still…”Serif, what have you gone and made now?” You looked up at the human, your SOUL aching a little when you saw the excited look on his face fall a little.

 

The chef’s daughter, a spider monster called Muffet, piped in at that moment. “See, I told you it was weird. If __ won’t eat it, you know the others won’t either.”

 

“Hey, I never said I wouldn’t—” You tried to defend yourself but were interrupted by Serif.

 

“That is preposterous! They will surely eat anything with more nutrients than your...desserts that you dare to call meals!”

 

“Excuse me! I’ll have you know that my pastries are full of plenty of nutrients and everyone loves them!”

 

“Yes, full of sugar! Soldiers need protein and vegetables to make them strong and energized!”

 

“Well no one has ever complained before!”

 

“Well that’s just because—”

 

You chose that moment to slowly back away from the two of them. Since Serif had gotten here several weeks ago and had been assigned to kitchen duty by Queen Toriel, the two of them had a tendency to get into it like this pretty often. They didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye on how to properly feed the soldiers. But you knew that it was all good-natured, otherwise you wouldn’t be leaving them like this. 

 

You made your way over to one of the fires near the cooking tent and sat yourself on a log, watching the two of them from a safe distance, clutching the bowl of Serif’s strange concoction in your hands. You saw others watching them as well, amusement written on their faces. You marveled at the difference between now and the threatening atmosphere from just a few weeks ago. 

 

Queen Toriel had also put Serif under your charge, which you were fine with. You told yourself it was because you felt responsible for him and didn’t want him to be attacked by the other monsters, which was true, but there was a part of you that was simply just glad for an excuse to see him regularly. 

 

It turned out that Serif happened to have an aptitude for cooking; his mom had been a soldier and his father and sister not the best cook so he’d had to learn. However, he was very experimental and often came up with strange concoctions. He had become concerned that the soldiers weren’t getting enough protein in their diet and so had take it upon himself to fix them suitable meals. And despite the strange meals that had come out of it, everyone agreed that with the two spider chefs and Serif working together, the quality of food had greatly improved. 

 

Of course, that didn’t mean you weren’t still cautious of the new food. 

 

You looked down once more at the food in your hands and took a deep breath. You were hungry...plus it might hurt Serif’s feelings if you didn’t eat it...you shook yourself. That was ridiculous, Serif wasn’t a child whose feelings you needed to coddle. Still though, you would eat it so that you could at least tell him you tried it

 

And with that you steeled yourself and finally bit into the strange meal, folding the flattened bread around it and eating it from the front. Your sockets widened, stars appearing in them.

 

“It’s so good…” you groaned.

 

Except you hadn’t realized you said it out loud and jumped when Serif yelled, “SEE! I TOLD YOU!” 

 

You nearly choked on your food from laughing.

 

~

 

The sound of laughter made you look up from where you were working on sharpening your sword. A little ways away, Serif was playing with Papyrus and Alphys. They had both tackled Serif to the ground and were now sitting on top of him, all three of them laughing. 

 

“We got you, Serif!” shouted Papyrus. 

 

“You sure did! I didn’t even see you coming! You both will make  _ magnificent _ warriors one day!” exclaimed Serif, a huge grin on his face.

 

Alphys frowned a bit. “Is being a magnificent warrior the same as being a terrifying warrior?”

 

“Absolutely Alphys! In fact, it’s even better!”

 

“It is?”

 

“Sure is! Now let’s see if you can get me again!”

 

Serif tried to get up but the children fell upon him, crawling all over him and tickling. Serif fell back, his pleas for mercy being ignored. You smiled and laughed under your breath as you watched them wrestle. Looking around, you could see other monsters also watching and smiling. The constant hostile looks from before had nearly stopped; they were accepting him. 

 

This thought caused your smile to widen.You’d actually been smiling a lot more in the last few weeks. It had stopped feeling strange on your face. It would seem that Serif’s presence still continued to heal you, even if your SOUL had already done so. As you continued to watch, you felt that now familiar tug in your chest. You were finding that was becoming harder and harder to ignore. The more you got to know Serif, the less you wanted to ignore it. 

 

In an attempt to distract yourself, you tried to focus back on honing your blade, dragging the whetstone along it repeatedly.You were so focused on this that you didn’t hear Serif approach you and jumped when he said, “I think that sword is sharp enough.”

 

He surprised you so much that you actually jumped to your feet, instinctively raising your sword so that it was level with his face. This caused his blue eyes to go wide and for him to raise his hands in front of him, taking a step back. “Okay, okay, I suppose it could be a little sharper.”

 

His comment combined with the scared look on his face caused you to start laughing, to which the scared look became one of bewilderment. Lowering your sword and going to sit back down, you said, “That should teach you to sneak up on a monster. Seriously, you’d think you’d know by now. After what happened last time.”

 

“Hey, to be fair, said monster was  _ Papyrus _ , and no one told me he was so powerful already.”

 

You smirked. “He’s the child of a boss monster, just coming into his powers that he doesn’t know how to control yet. A few...outbursts...are to be expected.”

 

“ _ Outburst _ she says….blew me clear across the campsite...still could have warned me….” Serif mumbled, causing you to chuckle again. 

 

Rolling your eyelights, you patted the ground next to you. “At ease, soldier, you fought a hard battle today.”

 

That ceased his mumbling and brought a smile to his face as he looked over at the kids, who were still tussling together; Alphys seemed to be winning. You found yourself admiring his smile, the his mouth turned up at the corners, causing dimples to appear, the way his eyes lit up when he did...you were so lost in thought that you almost missed what he said. “Yes, they’ve improved. They’ll make magnificent warriors one day.” As he said this, he plopped down on his back next you with a contented sigh.

 

However, his statement caused your own smile to fade a little and you watched the two children as they wrestled, suddenly feeling the urge to separate them. To hide them away.

 

You felt a warm hand on your own and you turned to look into Serif’s concerned eyes. “Are you okay?”

 

Swallowing(?) hard, you tried to smile and say, “Yeah, I’m fine,” but you could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t believe you and there was something about the piercing gaze he was giving you that made you open up.

 

Looking back at the children, you said, “I guess I was just hoping that...they wouldn’t have to  _ be _ warriors. That all of this could be over by their time so that they may know peace. If I die fighting this war, I want to die knowing that they won’t have to as well.”

 

This time you felt his hand on your chin, turning you face back towards him, his eyes soft. “This war will end. And your children will know peace.” A set look suddenly came to his face. “And you won’t die in this war. You have to something to live for and you will persevere. We will find a way.”

 

You liked that he included himself in that mission. You met his eyes, saying, “If I were ever to believe that, it would be now. Your being here has proven that humans and monsters can live in peace again. Just about everyone has accepted you by now.”

 

His mouth turned up, causing those dimples again as he stroked your cheekbone with his thumb, causing a tingling sensation where it trailed and a jump in your SOUL. “None of that would have happened without you. Not only did you save me, but you fought for me. I wouldn’t be here without you, nor would the idea of peace seem so much more possible.”

 

That was when you realized that your faces had inched quite close together. This was probably the closest you’d been since that first day. You found yourself exploring his face and considered leaning in just a little closer; you even saw that his eyes had grown quite unfocused, the flesh of his cheeks growing red...his flesh...his human flesh...because he was human. 

 

You suddenly pulled back from him, clearing your throat loudly. He was left blinking, his hand still hovering in the air where it had beem cupping your face. Clearing your throat again, and feeling a small pang of regret, you looked up at the darkening sky and said, “The sun is setting. We should head the cooking tent for dinner.”

 

Serif dropped his hand, a sad smile on his face that you tried not to notice. Also looking up, his face lit back up and instead of getting up, he laid back down onto the ground and said, “Dinner can wait. The stars are coming out and I haven’t stargazed in forever.”

 

Frowning, you looked up at the brightening stars and said, “They’re stars. Why would you want to gaze at them except to find your way?”

 

Serif looked affronted. “Because they’re beautiful. You should always take the chances you have to admire the beautiful things, because you never know when it may be the last time you see them.” He patted the ground next to him. “Come on, I’ll show you some constellations.”

 

You rolled your eyelights. “I know the constellations—waah!” 

 

Before you could finish, you were suddenly pulled down onto the ground by Serif, causing you to drop the sword you were still holding. When you landed, you looked at him incredulously and exclaimed, “Are you crazy?! I still had my sword—”

 

Serif put his finger to your teeth. “Shoosh!” You were so shocked that you actually stopped talking. “Thank you. Now look up.” With his other arm, he pointed up at the sky. “You see that group of stars? That is the Scorpio constellation….”

 

He began to tell you the story of Orion and the scorpion. You were surprised to find yourself actually enjoying the story. He was a good storyteller. However, as he continued to speak, you find yourself looking less at the sky and more at him. You watched the animated way he told the story, the way he talked with his hands and his eyes lit up. You felt that all-too-familiar tug and found yourself again regretting pulling away earlier. Maybe next time you wouldn’t…

 

~

 

You watched from the sidelines as Serif took down one of the senior officers, Rowan, yet again. It had been a couple weeks since he had started assisting in the training sessions and his ability to incapcitate many of the monsters’ most skilled fighters never ceased to impress you; he was quite strong for a human, even despite his small stature. This was the first time Rowan had actually agreed to participate in a session with Serif and you could tell that he was quite frustrated. 

 

Lifting his broadsword from Rowan’s neck, Serif said, “You’re still relying too much on your shields. While they are definitely helpful in battle, your reliance on them is making your fighting sloppy, careless. You need to stop trusting  _ them _ to protect you and focusing your energy on them and focus more on the actual fight. Because, as I just showed you, a good feint could mean the end.”

 

Scrambling to his feet, Rowan protested, “My shields help block blows I couldn’t possibly block on my own. They  _ have  _ saved me on many occasions. But now you’re telling me that they hinder me? I don’t expect a  _ human _ to understand but magic is a part of monsters, an extension of our being and—”

 

“And you’re not using it as an extension. You’re using it as a crutch. And your fighting skills are suffering. I may not be able to understand what if feels like to have magic but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it and its potential. You’re a good warrior, Rowan. But you could be great.”

 

Before Rowan could form a response to that, Serif looked past him and his face lit up. You followed his gaze to see your brother and Gerson approaching the field. Gaster wasn’t far behind them; he looked strangley excited. 

 

Behind you, Serif exclaimed, “Magnificent! Commander Paladin and Gerson have arrived; and I see Gaster has come to observe as well. The real lesson for today can begin!” At that, all the warriors turned and saluted their Commander and Captain, to which both responded.

 

Serif went over to meet the trio, shaking all of their hands and thanking them for coming. After another moment of talking, Serif turned back around and called out, “Everyone, gather around the field! Paladin and Gerson have agreed to help me with a fighting demonstration.”

 

One of the younger warriors raised a protest. “I understand the value of a demonstration from Commander Paladin, but what could Gerson teach us? He is the Royal Scientist, not a warrior.”

 

At that, Paladin smirked and Gaster and Gerson just laughed. Gerson approached the weapons rack that sat next to where you were standing. As he picked a plain sword, you whispered to him, “Are you sure about this? I know that you and my brother are a formidable force together but it  _ has _ been a while since you fought.”

 

Giving you a smile, he tapped his chest and said, “I trust our bond. One day, you will understand.” He said that with a glint in his eye but before you could say anything, he turned away from you, pointing to a few of the monsters, one of whom was the one that had spoken up. “You, you, and you. On the field.”

 

A look of bewilderment and slight indignance showed on all of their faces but they did as they were told, drawing their weapons as they did. Paladin and Gerson made their way onto the field as well and everyone else gathered around. Gaster and Serif stood on either side of you. As the fighters on the field stood ready, Serif called for them to start. 

 

The young monsters immediately went for Gerson, believing him to be the weak link in the duo. One of them occupied Paladin in order to distract him while the other two came upon Gerson from either side. Both went on the defensive and sparred with them for several minutes. Knowing that your brother could easily handle his adversary, you watched Gerson more closely. 

 

He was actually doing quite well and keeping with the blows thrown at him. His opponents were both in front and behind him; he engaged the one in front with his sword and the other with his magic. Disembodied hands floated around him and caught the blows. However, after a while, his movements began to grow sluggish and he began to lose ground. His opponents backed him to the edge of the field and the one that had spoken up about his ability to fight disarmed him. The young warrior went to make the movement indicating a final blow when it happened. Gerson smiled.

 

Paladin’s own magic flared and suddenly several bones sprang from the ground between the two young warriors and Gerson. One of Gerson’s hands brought him his sword and then he vaulted over both the bones and his opponents so that he was now back to back with Paladin in the center of the field. Both of them were now grinning widely, multicolored magic swirling between both of them. The other three monsters looked shocked and apprehensive but didn’t hesitate too long before going in to attack again. 

 

This time, Paladin and Gerson fought as one. It was like each of them knew the other’s moves before they did them. Though they fought back to back, one would catch a blow aimed for the other with barely a glance. They stepped around each other without stumbling, ducked for the other without a word; it was like a synchronized dance. Even when their opponents tried to use magic, it was almost ineffectual. In fact, they were maneuvering so swiftly and fluidly that their opponents didn’t realize that they were purposely positioning them. 

 

Before the three knew it, they were backed into a corner with Paladin and Gerson on either side. As one, the two shot forward. Gerson’s hands disarmed all three soldiers so that the pair now had five weapons and the trio had none. Paladin subsequently swept the three off their feet with his magical bones and then used more to pin them to the ground. The fight end with Paladin and Gerson standing over them, all weapons at the young monsters throats, both of them still glowing brightly.

 

There were several moments of shocked silence, during which you took the time to look around at the crowd; you noticed it had grown during the fight and all had the same look of awe on their face, causing you to smirk. When Paladin and Gerson finally let the young monsters up, they all scrambled to their feet and without hesitation, bowed respectfully to both of them. At that, the whole crowd broke into applause and Serif rushed forward with a big grin on his face.

 

After a few minutes of trying to calm the crowd down, he finally managed it and spoke loudly, “As you can see by Commander Paladin and Gerson’s display, when two people work together and use magic as an extension of themselves in battle, as well as focusing on their weapon’s skills, it can make all the difference. Now, imagine if it weren’t just two able to do that, but a whole company…”

 

As Serif kept speaking, you heard Gaster chuckle next to you. Looking over at him with a raised eye-ridge and a questioning, “Sir?”, he said, “He’s giving them a bit of high expectations of what to expect, isn’t he?”

 

Looking back at Serif, you asked, “Does Serif know?”

 

“He certainly does. He found them practicing a few a days ago and wouldn’t stop pestering them with questions. He made them spill all the beans on their SOULbond. I can see what he’s doing though; this gives them something to strive for, something that will make them train harder.”

 

You frowned a little. “He never said anything to me.”

 

Gaster gave you an amused look. “Perhaps he felt uncomfortable bringing up the topic of SOULmates and SOULbonds with you.”

 

You tried to play innocent and said, “Why do you—” but were caught off by Gaster’s knowing look.

 

Your sockets going wide, you swallowed hard and said, “You know? I’ve only talked to Gerson about it.”

 

He chuckled again. “I’ve noticed you two have had a special bond from the beginning. It explains everything. Why you didn’t kill him when you first met. Why you saved him. Besides, you don’t think I notice when one of my soldier’s is acting differently? You’ve been much happier since his arrival here.”

 

You looked down to the ground, trying to keep a smile off your face. But then a thought occurred to you and your head snapped back up. “Does Paladin know?”

 

Gaster looked thoughtful. “I think he senses something but hasn’t dwelled into it. I’m surprised you went to Gerson for advice and not your brother.”

 

You sighed. “He so rarely seems like just my brother anymore. And I’m afraid of how he might react. Besides, it may be nothing. Or it could be like his and Gerson’s bond, like that of brothers. Friends who love each other so much that they’re inseparable. It was easier for them to find each other, they grew up together. But I’m a monster and Serif is a human, it should be impossible anyway and--” You stopped at the look on Gaster’s face and realized that you were rambling.

 

After a moment, Gaster said, “I think you and I both know that the bond that the two of you are destined to make is far beyond Gerson’s and your brother’s. And what Paladin thinks doesn’t matter, neither does the fact that he is human and you’re a monster. You cannot deny what you feel. And it’s time you admitted that and said something to Serif before it’s too late.” And with that, he walked away, leaving you with a mess of thoughts.

 

You shook yourself, trying to expel them. You turned back to Serif and tried to listen to what he was saying; it seemed like he was trying to organize a few groups to practice. However, despite yourself, your thoughts began to wander, all about him. 

 

You’d learned a lot about it him during his time here. You learned about how his mother died in the war, his father and older sister dying not long after. How he joined the army after in search for a purpose and a desire to make his family proud. He didn’t have many friends in the village where he grew up; he had often been made fun of due to his small stature and the fact it was his mother that had gone off to war and not his father. 

 

You also saw the sadness in his eyes; he was often good at hiding it but every now and again, you caught him when he thought no one was looking. You knew he must miss his family. He also had a way of putting people at ease, always saying the right thing, and sticking to what he believed was right. Yes, it was clear to you from the beginning what embodied his SOUL.

 

And the way his SOUL shined through him, it was beautiful. It was with an intensity that you had never seen in a human; in fact, it was on the verge of being monster-like. And he did often exhibit traits that more closely resembled that of a monster; sometimes you even had to remind yourself that he was human. 

 

You had noticed other things too. Like the way his blonde hair fell into his face. How the skin around his bright blue eyes would crinkle as he smiled. The way he threw his head back when he laughed. The excited way he talked about something he was passionate about, how he used his hands to speak; he was so easy to talk to. Sometimes, you even thought you saw something flash in his eyes when he looked at you, that moment between the two of you under the stars...

 

Still, you remained silent. You were afraid of the kind of response a relationship between a monster and human would get, even if they were meant to be together. Especially in this time of war. However, you were starting to feel like maybe you didn’t care, that Gaster was right…

 

Sometimes, you would catch Serif looking at you and think that he could feel it too; you didn’t know if a human could feel their SOULmate the same way monsters could. Besides, you didn’t exactly fit the human standard of beauty. You didn’t even have skin... 

 

But what if that didn’t matter? Perhaps it was time for you to say something, before it was too late, like Gaster said. You were all in the middle of a war after all, who knew what could happen? What if you didn’t say something and then lose your chance to ever say it? Your SOUL hurt at the thought.

 

Maybe you would say something...tonight, after the dinner with your brother and his family. At that moment, Serif looked over at you and smiled, causing your breath to catch and your SOUL to jump yet again. Yes, you would do it. Before this war took its toll and it was too late. Even if he rejected you, at least you’d know you tried to do something about it. 

 

Taking a deep breath, you nodded to yourself, you decision made. And with that, you drew your own sword, calling out to Serif, “Hey, human.” He turned towards you again, an eyebrow raised; you never called him “human” anymore. Spinning your sword in your hand, your eyes glowing purple, you said, “I think it’s about time for a rematch.”

 

A grin broke out on his face and with a laugh, he drew his broadsword.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've also been working on my other fic, [Heart of Gold](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7335373/chapters/16662094), and hope to update soon.
> 
> In the meantime, checkout [EvergreenEmerald](http://archiveofourown.org/users/EvergreenEmerald), she's got a lot of good stuff going right now.
> 
> Thanks again for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know...I swear I'm gonna get to Heart of Gold. I know I'm horrible. The only excuse I have is that I've just been in a funk with it. 
> 
> While you're waiting though, be sure to check out EvergreenEmerald, if you haven't already. If you like my stuff, you're gonna looooooove theirs.


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